FIRST IMPRESSIONS
TEN MINUTE PLAY
By Matt Thompson
Copyright © MMVIII by Matt Thompson
All Rights Reserved
Heuer Publishing LLC, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
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First Impressions by Matt Thompson
Copyright © MMVIII by Matt Thompson
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
By Matt Thompson
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SYNOPSIS: First Impressions is a heartwarming comedy about a guy and a
girl and their first impressions of one another. As they both break the fourth
wall, we get a glimpse into their real thoughts - funny, direct, and honest!
OP
CAST OF CHARACTERS
(1 MAN, 2 WOMEN)
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JASON (m) .....................................A customer. Stops by the flower shop on
his way home. Asks Jessica to
Valentine’s Dinner.
JESSICA (f) ....................................Owns a flower shop. Interested in Jason.
SAMANTHA (f) .............................Works at the flower shop.
-2THIS SCRIPT IS PROVIDED AS A COURTESY FOR INTERNET READING.
NO PERFORMANCE RIGHTS CONVEYED.
First Impressions by Matt Thompson
Copyright © MMVIII by Matt Thompson
AT RISE:
A blank stage. JASON and JESSICA stand looking out, speaking
aside.
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JASON: February.
JESSICA: Fourteenth.
JASON: Valentine's Day.
JESSICA: Valentine's Day.
JASON: I stopped by the flower shop.
JESSICA: He stopped by the flower shop.
JASON: (Walking into the "flower shop.") Excuse me.
JESSICA: (Turning around.) Yes? (Aside.) He was attractive.
JASON: (Aside.) She looked like an angel that fell out of heaven.
JESSICA: May I help you?
JASON: (Fumbling a little because SHE's so pretty.) I was looking
for . . . uh . . . beauty.
JESSICA: Excuse me?
JASON: I mean I was looking for something beautiful . . . for a . . .
special . . . woman in my life.
JESSICA: (Aside.) Married.
JASON: Well, not the woman of my life.
JESSICA: (Aside.) Girlfriend.
JASON: In fact, she's not even that special.
JESSICA: (Aside.) Commitment issues.
JASON: I mean . . . it's for my mother.
JESSICA: (Aside.) Freudian issues.
JASON: (Pulling his thoughts together.) It's her birthday, and I
wanted to get her something pretty for this special occasion.
JESSICA: Your mother's birthday is today? On Valentine's Day?
JASON: Yes.
JESSICA: And how old is your mother?
JASON: I don't know. I never ask women their age.
JESSICA giggles.
JESSICA: (Aside.) Witty. (To JASON.) Do you know what you would
like to get her?
-3THIS SCRIPT IS PROVIDED AS A COURTESY FOR INTERNET READING.
NO PERFORMANCE RIGHTS CONVEYED.
First Impressions by Matt Thompson
Copyright © MMVIII by Matt Thompson
TC
Beat.
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JASON: I don't know much about flowers.
JESSICA: Well, how about an Abutilon Megapotamicum?
JASON: (Aside.) She's smart.
JESSICA: Or some Solanum Capsicastrum?
JASON: (Aside.) She's really smart.
JESSICA: You know what. I may have just what you want. I have a
beautiful set of Magnoliophyta Rosaceaes.
JASON: Yes, you do. I noticed that when I walked in.
JESSICA: (Smiling. Aside.) He's flirting.
JASON: (Aside.) I'm flirting. (To JESSICA.) I think you're a bit over
my head with the Latin phylum names there.
JESSICA: Sorry. I just get caught up.
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JASON: You know . . . you have a very nice smile.
JESSICA: (Aside.) I'm listening. (To JASON.) Thank you.
JASON: It's easy to see how you can make your customers feel so
at ease.
JESSICA: (Aside.) I'm still listening. (To JASON.) I think it’s the
plants that do that. But you're very kind.
JASON: It's easy to be kind when your face radiates pure beauty.
JESSICA: (Aside.) He has my undivided attention.
JASON: So what do you think?
JESSICA: (A little flustered herself after his compliment.) About
what?
JASON: About the . . . Magnavox . . . Freebee . . . Rialto . . .
JESSICA: The Magnoliophyta Rosaceae?
JASON: Yes, it sounds exotic. What are they?
JESSICA: Roses.
JASON: Cute.
JESSICA: Yes, and so are you. (Aside.) Did I just say that?!
JASON: (Aside.) She just complimented me.
JESSICA: (Aside.) I just complimented him. Wait, I can't compliment
him too much, what if it goes to his head? What if he has a huge
ego? Although, he is very cute.
JASON: (Aside.) She has a spunky personality. I think I like that.
-4THIS SCRIPT IS PROVIDED AS A COURTESY FOR INTERNET READING.
NO PERFORMANCE RIGHTS CONVEYED.
First Impressions by Matt Thompson
Copyright © MMVIII by Matt Thompson
JESSICA: (Aside.) He's witty. I think I like that.
THEY smile at each other.
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JASON: (Aside.) Awkward silence.
JESSICA: (Aside.) Awkward silence.
JASON: (Shaking her hand.) My name's Jason.
JESSICA: Jessica. So, Jason, what do you do for a living?
JASON: Uh . . . Well.
JESSICA: (Aside.) I wonder how much money he makes?
JASON: (Aside.) She wants to know how much money I make.
JESSICA: I'm sorry, I didn't hear you? What do you do again?
JASON: (Quickly.) I'm an economic advisor at Teledite Bank
Finance.
JESSICA: (Aside.) Boring.
JASON: I'm an astronaut.
JESSICA: (Aside.) He's a liar.
JASON: I own the New York Mets.
JESSICA: (Aside.) He's a very bad liar.
JASON: (Aside.) She's not buying it.
JESSICA: (Aside.) I'm not buying it.
JASON: (Aside.) Money isn't important.
JESSICA: (Aside.) Maybe he misunderstood me. Money isn't
important. (To JASON.) The New York Mets, huh?
JASON: Uh, yeah. (Aside.) Okay, come clean. (To JESSICA.)
Uh…no, not really. (Aside.) Let's change the subject.
JESSICA: (Aside.) Let's change the subject.
JASON: (Aside.) I think I blew it.
JESSICA: (Aside.) He's blowing it.
JASON: (Aside.) I'll be brazen. (To JESSICA.) Would you like to go
out with me?
JESSICA: (Aside.) Brazen. (To JASON.) Where would we go out?
JASON: To the tractor pull competition?
JESSICA: (Aside.) Strike one.
JASON: Do you play golf?
JESSICA: (Aside.) That yuppie sport?
JASON: To the science fiction convention?
-5THIS SCRIPT IS PROVIDED AS A COURTESY FOR INTERNET READING.
NO PERFORMANCE RIGHTS CONVEYED.
First Impressions by Matt Thompson
Copyright © MMVIII by Matt Thompson
TC
OP
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JESSICA: (Aside.) You can't be serious. (To JASON.) I'll get your
flowers. (She yells off stage.) Samantha, a dozen red! (Back to
JASON.) I'll ring you up over here.
JASON: Hang on a second. Would you like to have dinner with me?
JESSICA: (Aside.) I don't think that he can afford me. But because
I'm an amazing human being, I'll give him one more chance. (To
JASON.) Um...you know I was reading this really offbeat book that
a girlfriend of mine recommended.
JASON: You don't say?
JESSICA: Do you read, Jason?
JASON: Actually, I don't get a chance to read books...
JESSICA: (Aside.) See ya. (SHE nods and turns away.)
JASON: ...as much as I write them.
SHE turns back and smiles.
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JESSICA: (Aside.) Okay, I'm back. (To JASON.) You're a writer?
JASON: Yes.
JESSICA: Really? What kind of books do you write?
JASON: Novels. Well, novellas, really. Shorter novels, that is.
JESSICA: Have I heard of them? What are the titles? (Aside.) I'm
seriously interested.
JASON: (Aside.) I think she's interested. (To JESSICA.) Well, let's
see. My first novel is entitled The Entangled Entropy. After that I
wrote a book called Hambone and the Alpaca: The Secret Life of
Applesauce, Happy Hogs and Olive Pits.
JESSICA: Sounds like a New York Times bestseller.
JASON: Unfortunately, it never reached the top one hundred. I think
the title was a bit much.
JESSICA: (Sarcastic, but in a good way.) You think?
JASON: To be honest, I haven't really made a fortune writing. I
mean, I haven't made a lot of money.
JESSICA: (Aside.) That doesn't matter.
JASON: I figure you have to do what you like to do with your life. I
mean, I'm an artist.
JESSICA: (Aside.) Oh boy, here we go.
-6THIS SCRIPT IS PROVIDED AS A COURTESY FOR INTERNET READING.
NO PERFORMANCE RIGHTS CONVEYED.
First Impressions by Matt Thompson
Copyright © MMVIII by Matt Thompson
DO
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OP
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JASON: Writing nourishes the soul and fuels the body. It's music of
the mouth. Without words, the world would be silent.
JESSICA: That was...very poetic. (Aside.) I think I like that. (To
JASON.) You have a way with words.
JASON: Thank you. (Aside.) I think she likes me.
JESSICA: (Aside.) I think I like him. (To JASON.) What was the
name of your last book?
JASON: My last book is called Goats with Ropes. It just came out.
JESSICA: What's it about?
JASON: It's about how communism and democracy share common
values from the standpoint of a Portuguese goat herder that gets
caught by a band of communist robots. In chapter seven, the
goats are disguised as eight foot tall baboons. And they all have
the face of Thomas Aquinas. And it's all from the viewpoint of an
eleven-year-old armadillo.
JESSICA: (Aside.) Uh-huh. (To JASON.) How interesting.
JASON: Oh, I also wrote this other crazy little book. It's out of print
and nobody ever read it.
JESSICA: What's it called?
JASON: The World's Best Peanut Butter Horse.
JESSICA: Get out of town! That's the book I'm reading!
JASON: You're kidding?
JESSICA: No, I'm serious! That's unbelievable!
JASON: That's amazing! I've never run into anybody that's read my
stuff. This is incredible.
JESSICA: (Aside.) I'm a bit overwhelmed.
JASON: (Aside.) I'm a bit overwhelmed.
JASON: And what about you? How long have you been here?
JESSICA: I own the place. "Jessica's Plants and Flowers." It's
always been my dream to own a plant store.
JASON: You know, if you had two cousins named Paul and Nate,
you could call your shop Paul ‘n’ Nate's Fungi Gardening. (Aside.)
I make a funny joke. She laughs.
JESSICA: (Aside.) He makes a bad joke. I give him a courtesy
laugh, because I'm elated and drunk in the mind.
THEY share a little courtesy laugh.
-7THIS SCRIPT IS PROVIDED AS A COURTESY FOR INTERNET READING.
NO PERFORMANCE RIGHTS CONVEYED.
First Impressions by Matt Thompson
Copyright © MMVIII by Matt Thompson
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JESSICA: So it's your mother's birthday?
JASON: Yes, the entire family will be there. You'll see.
JESSICA: I'll see what?
JASON: My family. When you meet them... I mean one day...when
you meet them. (Aside.) Did I just say that?
JESSICA: (Aside.) Did he just say what I think he said?
JASON: (Aside.) I said that. (To JESSICA.) So about dinner. How
about tonight?
JESSICA: (Aside.) Today is Valentine's Day. (To JASON.) Today is
Valentine's Day.
JASON: (Aside.) I know. (To JESSICA.) I know.
JESSICA: (A little flustered.) Tonight? Aren't you spending time with
your mother?
JASON: She goes to bed at seven. I could come by and pick you up,
here at the flower shop, say around eight o'clock.
JESSICA: (Aside.) I'm a little flustered, but excited at the same time.
(To JASON.) Uh…well...you know...
JASON: (Aside.) I came on too strong.
JESSICA: I'm not sure...
JASON: (Aside.) She's not into me.
JESSICA: I'll have to check my schedule.
JASON: (Aside.) Flat out rejection.
JESSICA: (Aside.) I don't have any plans tonight.
JASON: (Aside.) She has big plans tonight. She must have had a
thousand guys ask her out for tonight.
JESSICA: (Aside.) Nobody asked me out tonight.
JASON: (Aside.) A girl that beautiful can't be single on Valentine's
Day.
JESSICA: (Aside.) I am single on Valentine's. But by choice…
JASON: (Aside.) I wonder who she's going out with?
JESSICA: (Aside.) Demetrius Hayden did ask me out.
JASON: (Aside.) He's probably some chiseled looking six-foot guy
with dark hair and a low voice.
JESSICA: (Aside.) He's a foot shorter than me, doesn't brush his
teeth, and has a hairy back.
JASON: (Aside.) I haven't got a chance.
-8THIS SCRIPT IS PROVIDED AS A COURTESY FOR INTERNET READING.
NO PERFORMANCE RIGHTS CONVEYED.
First Impressions by Matt Thompson
Copyright © MMVIII by Matt Thompson
JESSICA: (Aside.) He's charming. And he's a writer. How cool is
that?
JASON: (Aside.) I'm nervous.
JESSICA: (Aside.) I'm nervous.
Y
SAMANTHA enters.
OP
SAMANTHA: (Aside.) I'm delivering the flowers. (To JESSICA.)
Here ya go.
SAMANTHA hands JESSICA a dozen roses and exits.
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TC
JESSICA: Thank you Samantha. (To JASON.) Here you are, one
dozen red roses.
JASON: Great. So, uh…about tonight? What do you say?
JESSICA: (Sighs.) Well . . .
JASON: (Aside.) Oh boy, here it comes.
JESSICA: (With an upward inflection.) You know what...
JASON: (Aside.) A glimmer of hope.
JESSICA: I might be able to switch some things around.
JASON: (Aside; HE jumps for joy.) Score! Yeah! Alright! Do a little
dance! Yeah! (To JESSICA, very calm.) Great. So I'll pick you up
at eight?
JESSICA: Yeah, I guess so, why not.
JASON: I'll see you then.
DO
JASON takes one of the single red roses from the bunch and hands it
to JESSICA. HE smiles and exits. After HE is gone, JESSICA jumps
for joy.
THE END
-9THIS SCRIPT IS PROVIDED AS A COURTESY FOR INTERNET READING.
NO PERFORMANCE RIGHTS CONVEYED.